Isolation of an aromatic fraction of coffee

Abstract

A process for isolating an aromatic coffee fraction from an aqueous medium containing said fraction, which comprises contacting the aqueous medium with an organic solvent which is an azeotropic mixture capable of boiling at a temperature below about 50° C of (a) at least one non-aromatic hydrocarbon and (b) at least one non-aromatic halogenated hydrocarbon or an ether and recovering a solvent phase containing the aromatic fraction. This is a continuation of application Ser. No. 623,055, filed Oct. 16, 1975, is now abandoned.

I claim: 
     
       1. A process for isolating an aromatic coffee fraction from an aqueous medium containing said fraction which comprises contacting the aqueous medium with an organic solvent which is an azeotrope mixture having a boiling point below about 50° C and which is selected from the group consisting of   ______________________________________                                    
pentane/methylene chloride                                                
                        68 -32%                                           
   and                                                                    
pentane/freon 113 (trichloro-                                             
  trifluorethane)       94 -6%                                            
______________________________________                                    
     and recovering a solvent phase containing the aromatic fraction which is then concentrated by distillation.   
     
     
       2. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the recovered solvent phase is concentrated to a residual solvent content of the order of 10%. 
     
     
       3. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aqueous medium is an extract of roasted coffee. 
     
     
       4. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein the aqueous medium is a condensate of the aroma given off during the roasting of green coffee or during the grinding of roasted coffee. 
     
     
       5. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherin the aqueous medium is a stripped aroma condensate of roasted coffee. 
     
     
       6. A process as claimed in claim 5, wherein the aqueous medium is a condensate obtained by stripping of roasted coffee at a stripping level of from 1% to 300%. 
     
     
       7. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein extraction is carried out at a temperature in the range from 20° to 30° C. 
     
     
       8. A process as claimed in claim 1, wherein extraction is carried out at the boiling temperature of the azeotropic mixture used. 
     
     
       9. An aromatic coffee fraction obtained by the process claimed in claim 1, having a stability at -20° C of at least 6 months.